30 weeks pregnant, bit by tick and have lyme disease...freaking out!!!..need some support please!

[mamatwig]

ok, so here is a little background info first of all. last may we found out i had chronic lyme, after 6 months of testing i finally came out positive for one band, but felt so week i didnt want to go on antibiotics ( my whole life every time i go on antibiotics my immune system gets supressed and for the next 6 months im sick about every 2 weeks). some one told me about this chiro. who practices applied kinesiology and specializes in lyme. i went to him and he said i did have it and put me on a protocol of herbs which totally worked and i havent had a symptom in a year. I have seen him help many people, he is my primary dr now.

well last sat i got bit by a tick again, and 3 days later all the lyme symptoms came back. yesterday i went to see my chiro and he said i definitely have it again. i am 30 weeks pregnant and freaking out. i have read about cases of lyme being transmitted through the placents and causeing major birth defects, causing a still born or a baby to die hours after being born. but everything says there is little info known on the subject, some studies show no link. but im terrifed. i talked to my obgyn and she said she has never had a patient with lyme while pregnant and doesnt know much, but if the guy helped me before to try him again. i know that the antibiotics will get to the baby and help him, but i also have seen antibiotics not kill lyme and saw the herbs cure me before. i just want to make sure the herbs will clear the infection out of him too.

has anyone ever been diagnosed with lyme while pregnant and what happened? i dont no how high of a risk the baby is at for getting it. i just need some advice, i dont want anything to happen to my little boy!

[Baby~Braatens~Mama]

OMG, I am so sorry you had to go through this! You are in my thoughts.

Did you happen to save the tick that bit you? If you did I would suggest taking it to a doctor, he will analyze it and be able to tell you the species and whether or not it was carrying Lyme disease.
I did a little research and this is what I found:
-A positive Lyme blood test, even including a Western blot, doesn't mean that the disease is active and needs to be treated. This is because blood tests can remain positive for years, even after Lyme disease has been treated or has become inactive. To help diagnose Lyme disease and to check for other causes of symptoms, a sample of fluid may be withdrawn from an affected joint using a sterile needle. Cerebrospinal fluid also may be taken from around the spinal cord through a spinal tap (lumbar puncture), to test for Lyme disease antibodies and inflammation and check for other diseases.
-People often recover within two to six weeks without antibiotics. Even Lyme arthritis often improves on its own as the body's immune system attacked the infection, although it's common for it to return. Antibiotic therapy is highly effective at curing the illness. Significant improvement occurs within two to six weeks after beginning therapy.
-Call your doctor if you develop a rash or flulike illness after you have been bitten by a tick or you could have been exposed to ticks. You should also call your doctor if you have facial paralysis, arthritis, or persistent dizziness or heart palpitations.

I would suggest talking to an ob, if you can or are willing, because Lyme symptoms can be transmitted to an unborn child. Although rare, it can make a woman more likely to miscarry or deliver a stillborn child. Lyme symptoms acquired during pregnancy may lead to infection of the placenta and possible stillbirth, but there have been no negative effects on the baby (according to several studies I googled) when the mother receives appropriate antibiotic treatment. I had an abscessed tooth, and though I was worried about the effects of medications during pregnancy there are several antibiotics which are considered safe for the mother and child. We had Penniciln VK and are both healthy.

I wish I could be more helpfull, and I do wish you and your child the absolute best.

[aikigypsy]

I have no specific knowledge about lyme in pregnancy, but I've had a mild case of lyme and most of the people I know in my town have had it at one time or another, sometimes the chronic version. My gut instinct is that I think you should just take the antibiotics, to minimise the risk to your baby, and do everything you can to make the side-effects less severe for yourself.

Best of luck finding better information.

[rainbowmoon]

for info.

I got bit by a tick about 2 months ago so I am concerned..no symptoms yet though, I am just getting alot of rest since & during the next 4 months until my baby is due...what were your symptoms if you don't mind me asking?

Everything I have read about lymes during pregnancy has been negative and says it can be fatal to the fetus which I find very hard to believe with all the pregnant women that live here in the NE (And elsewhere) where there are large tick populations.

Is there anyway you can hunt down a dr. (besides your chiro) who has experience with pregnancy and lymes? I would probably do the antx personally if I start to get symptoms but in your case I would probably seek out someone who has had more experience in treating pregnant women.

I am sure everythig will be ok so try to to stress. Hang in there!

[Family4Christ]

I was *just* reading up on this two days ago. First, in the third tri, the risk is very low. All the awful stuff happens in the first and second tris. Second, they say that if you go on a round of antibiotics (I believe it's 2-3 weeks course ), there should be no effects to the baby. I couldn't find any info beyond this, but wanted to post it.

Oh, by the way, I didn't save the websites I looked at, but I can look for them again at some point tomorrow, if you need them.

I'm sorry you're having to deal with this

[evabea]

I would try to find a doctor who specializes in Lyme in your area--the Lyme Disease Association has a referral service on their site here.
The specialist will likely run more sophisticated tests than other docs and will have more experience and success in treating all sorts of people, especially pregnant women, if treatment is needed. They'll also test for other diseases that ticks commonly carry. If you do need antibiotics, better to take them sooner than later to reduce the bacterial count in your body. There are ones that are safe for babies and maybe won't make you sick, either.

Babies are super-resilient, and usually thrive no matter what's going on. Take care of yourself, get treated if necessary and stay informed, and remember even though Lyme has become very common, babies normally seem to do just fine. Good luck and health to both of you!

[mamatwig]

thanks girls. my symptoms were all the main ones. real achy, headache, my hjoints were inflamed, exhausted ( more so than the normal 3 tri tiredness..i couldnt function. ) i talked to my obgyn a lot and she said the fact that the herbs helped me before if i trust the dr ( which i do i feel he gave me my life back) to do it again. she said theoretically it should help the baby too, the same as if i was taking antibiotics. the other tricky part is typically lyme is treated with doxycycline or tetricycline( spl?) and yuo cant take that pregnant. the second choice is penicilin, and i am allergic, and i forget what the third is called but im allergic to that too. so my obgyn said she is comfortable with me doing the herbs. i am already feeling better so i know they are working. and i did read as well that the risk is much lower in the 3 trimester, so my brain isnt going too crazy anymore. but thank you for all doing the research for me!

[Baby~Braatens~Mama]

So good to hear that you are feeling better! I have been wondering about you and yours!

[FireWithin]

If you do homeopathy I would consider that. You could do it on your own, or with an experienced homeopath. Mine is in Hartford CT and regularly treats people with lyme. I am almost 7 months pregnant and that is what I would do if it happened to me.

[HeatherB]

Glad you have someone you trust for treatment!

FWIW, I'm on my fourth pregnancy and I have congenital Lyme. While I know at least one child has been infected and it's possible others have, they are all here with no major issues. (Ok, 4th is still in utero, but doing well!)

I am absolutely in favor of treating Lyme holistically if at all possible. I also know that Lyme is one thing where antibiotics are NOT worse than the disease. In my course of treatment, I took them for THREE YEARS. I am still not well, but far better than I was. My sister had 1.5 years of IV antibiotics, and got her life back. She's still got major health problems, but she's not on her death bed, and she's not even bed-ridden anymore. My DS was on 1.5 years of oral abx, at which point he didn't relapse when we took him off. After 6 months, when we first tried to take him off, he did relapse. So, we knew he still needed it.

Lyme is an awful, ugly infection, and most mainstream doctors (and absolutely 90% or more of the mainstream public) don't know the truth about it. It's very scary to be a mother with Lyme, and there is very mixed info about Lyme and pregnancy, breastfeeding, etc. It's not one of those things with straightforward, easy answers. The fact is that the CDC's guidelines of 2-4 weeks of antibiotics is NOT ENOUGH for Lyme. And you likely need multiple types of abx to kill the various forms at various times. This is one very tricky bug, and it changes forms and enters your own cells and does all kinds of crazy things to hide out and then come back out again in the virulent form.

The tests are extremely unpredictable. The main test (I believe it's Western Blot) is only 33% accurate! That is to say, they infected 100 samples, tested them all, and only 33 showed up as positive! That is unconscionable. And, yet, it's the most heavily relied on test today. I was tested many times throughout the search for the answers to chronic ailments, and NEVER tested positive until I'd been on treatment for a YEAR. I had all of the clinical symptoms, but even the best tests (PCR and such) didn't show it conclusively enough for the CDC until then.

Anyway, big , mama. I'm so glad you have someone who can really help you. I wish I had someone holistic here. FWIW, Dr. Charles Ray Jones in New Haven, CT, is the best in the country for pediatrics. He can consult with other docs for you, recommend testing, etc. There are tests you can do at birth, too. Of course, your chiro/doc may have other methods, and if you like how he works, then you may want to stick with that. I am not ultimately convinced that there is one perfect way to treat Lyme, so you need to do what is working *for you.*

All the best!

[frolick16]

nak

i have just given birth to a perfect little girl, i was diagnosed with lyme in my fourth month of pregnancy i had no symptoms my midwife was a lyme expert and recommended amoxicillin to prevent trans placental transmission it does NOT treat the disease just prevents transmission to babe EVERYONE i spoke to from a homeopath to herbalist to mainstream docs said in this case take the antibiotics and treat after delivery as you wish because the point is reducing risk of transmission through placenta my midwife works in the amish community where there is a high rate of positive moms and with treatment outcomes have been great i was on 3000mg of abx daily until delivery and now will be tested again along with babe as pp said this is a case where risk of abx is lower than potential risk of lyme, hth

[Eresh]

I would second the suggestion to find a doc that specializes in Lyme's disease and have a consultation.

Good luck, mama.

[mamatwig]

Originally Posted by HeatherB

Glad you have someone you trust for treatment!

FWIW, I'm on my fourth pregnancy and I have congenital Lyme. While I know at least one child has been infected and it's possible others have, they are all here with no major issues. (Ok, 4th is still in utero, but doing well!)

I am absolutely in favor of treating Lyme holistically if at all possible. I also know that Lyme is one thing where antibiotics are NOT worse than the disease. In my course of treatment, I took them for THREE YEARS. I am still not well, but far better than I was. My sister had 1.5 years of IV antibiotics, and got her life back. She's still got major health problems, but she's not on her death bed, and she's not even bed-ridden anymore. My DS was on 1.5 years of oral abx, at which point he didn't relapse when we took him off. After 6 months, when we first tried to take him off, he did relapse. So, we knew he still needed it.

Lyme is an awful, ugly infection, and most mainstream doctors (and absolutely 90% or more of the mainstream public) don't know the truth about it. It's very scary to be a mother with Lyme, and there is very mixed info about Lyme and pregnancy, breastfeeding, etc. It's not one of those things with straightforward, easy answers. The fact is that the CDC's guidelines of 2-4 weeks of antibiotics is NOT ENOUGH for Lyme. And you likely need multiple types of abx to kill the various forms at various times. This is one very tricky bug, and it changes forms and enters your own cells and does all kinds of crazy things to hide out and then come back out again in the virulent form.

The tests are extremely unpredictable. The main test (I believe it's Western Blot) is only 33% accurate! That is to say, they infected 100 samples, tested them all, and only 33 showed up as positive! That is unconscionable. And, yet, it's the most heavily relied on test today. I was tested many times throughout the search for the answers to chronic ailments, and NEVER tested positive until I'd been on treatment for a YEAR. I had all of the clinical symptoms, but even the best tests (PCR and such) didn't show it conclusively enough for the CDC until then.

Anyway, big , mama. I'm so glad you have someone who can really help you. I wish I had someone holistic here. FWIW, Dr. Charles Ray Jones in New Haven, CT, is the best in the country for pediatrics. He can consult with other docs for you, recommend testing, etc. There are tests you can do at birth, too. Of course, your chiro/doc may have other methods, and if you like how he works, then you may want to stick with that. I am not ultimately convinced that there is one perfect way to treat Lyme, so you need to do what is working *for you.*

All the best!

i feel for you, it is a horrible thing to live with. im feeling much better, its still in me a little but im working on it. if you ever wanted to make the trip, my dr is named richard bloom, and i feel like he is a lyme miracle worker. i met someone in his office who had chronic lyme for 11 years and was so damaged from it she was on permanent dissability and he completely got it out of her and she hadnt had a symptom in 3 years as of when i met her. he isnt too expensive either, especially for natural drs, but i would pay 1000 a visit if i had to to get my life back. he is in chesnut ridge ny, its off the thru way, it may be worth the drive from ct. i hope you feel better good luck with the little baby! hope all is well and healthy. thank you for your words, it was very reasurring!

[aikigypsy]

I saw this again just now and thought, "Hey, wait, that's not my thread title, is it?" I found out I had Lyme just over a week ago, also at about 30 weeks pregnant. I am on amoxicillin 3x/day for 21 days, which the doctors here say should control the lyme (and the rocky mountain spotted fever I had, too!). Everyone here gets Lyme, so the doctors have lots of experience with it.

I am trying not to freak out about it too much, but I'm feeling better and they say it wasn't a raging infection, that I probably caught it early.

[AtYourCervices]

I got pregnant after being diagnosed with Lyme Disease (chronic Lyme). I have some experience living with Lyme while pregnant. If I had been diagnosed during pregnancy, I would have done the antibiotics. I have tried herbal remedies for the Lyme, and it made me angry because it did NOTHING to help me, other than drain my wallet.

I was on antibiotics around the time of birth.

See a Lyme Literate dr. Where do you live?

Also, be sure to get tested for other tick borne illnesses such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehlichiosis & Babesiosis. I had Babesiosis. Symptoms included nausea/vomiting, which could be attributed to normal pregnancy symptoms.

When my daughter was born, we sent the placenta away for further testing, to see if the Lyme was possibly transmitted (tests came back negative).

Surprisingly, though, that pregnant actually triggered the Lyme to go into remission. I wasn't too sick during the pregnancy. Sure, I had some flare ups, but it wasn't as bad as prior to the pregnancy.